Barrel-heading press.



PATENTED NOV. 1,1904.

R. L'. CUMMINGS.

BARREL HEADING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.

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UNITED STATES Patented November 1, 1904.

RINALDO L. CUMMINGS, OF PARIS, MAINE.

BARR'EL-HEADING PRESS- SPECIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 773,629, dated November 1, 1904. Application filed April 6, 1904. Serial No. 201,858. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it .may concern:

Be it known that I, RINALDO L. CUMMINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in the county of Oxford and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Barrel Heading Presses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in barrel-heading presses, and more particularly to such as are employed in heading barrels filled with apples.

As is well known in the trade, in packing apples for shipment it is necessary that the apples be packed so closely and so firmly in the barrel that they cannot shift in the barrel during the handling of the barrels. If they do they become bruised rapidly. To obviate this objection, it is customary in packing the apples to fill the barrel more than even full and then press the head into the barrel, forcing the apples down until the head registers with the croze in the staves.

The object of my invention is to provide a convenient and efiicient press for forcing the head quickly and evenly into the barrel.

The drawing is a perspective view illustrating my invention.

In carrying out my invention I provide a suitable supporting-frame consisting of abase A and uprights B. Secured to the base at right angles thereto is a steadying-bar C. This bar may be provided with a stop D for positioning the barrel to receive the head.

Slidably mounted upon said uprights are plates E, having formed integral therewith clamping-guides F G, inclosing the uprights. Said plates have upwardly-extending supporting-bars H I, which carry on their upper ends the horizontal plunger-supporting bars J K. Attached to the barsJ K are braces L M. Between the lower extremities of the braces L M and the plates E are journaled pulleys N. Rigidly secured to said pulleys is an operating-lever O. Passing around the pulleys, one end secured to a hook P at the bottom of the frame and the other end to a hook Q, secured to the top of the frame, are chains R. The chains are provided with fiat sections S midway their length, said flat sections having apertures S, through which the endsof the handle-lever pass to prevent the chains from slipping on the pulleys. Secured to the under side of the horizontal bars J K is a plunger T, which for convenience should be only slightly smaller than the head of the barrel and may be in the form of a ring, as shown in the drawing.

The operation of my improved barrel-heading press is as follows: The handle is raised, thereby turning the pulleys and consequently raising the plunger. The barrel to beheaded is inserted beneath the plunger and the handlelever pushed down, bringing the plunger into contact with the barrel-head and forcing it downwardly until it reaches the proper position in the barrel.

The advantages of my barrel-heading press are that it works very quickly, and by reason of the circular shape of the plunger it presses the head evenly into the barrel, it being impossible to press one side of the head in farther than the other, and therefore requires no hammering of the head to get it into position, the hammering of the heading havinga greater tendency to crush the apples than a steady downward pressure.

Having thus described my invention and its use, I claim In a barrel-heading press, a suitable supporting-frame, a plunger, means for supporting said plunger consisting of horizontal bars and upright bars, said plunger-supporting means being provided with slidable connections with said frame, pulleys secured to said plunger supporting means, flexible chain's passing around said pulleys one end connected to the frame at the top and the other to the frame at the bottom, and a handle-leverfor rotating said pulleys.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this lst day of April, 1904.

RINALDO L. CUMMINGS.

In presence of JAMES S. WRIGHT, ALTON C. l/VHEELER. 

